


It'll Never Change Me And You

by larrymylove



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-07
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-29 10:33:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3893107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larrymylove/pseuds/larrymylove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off an AU idea I saw online today. It's been five years since One Direction broke up. However, when a tragedy strikes, they all manage to come together. Will wounds be healed, or is the damage done all those years ago permanent?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's been five years since One Direction broke up and since Zayn and Louis severed ties with each other. Got the idea today with all the drama happening right now. 
> 
> Keep in mind this is AU. None of us know really what happened today. This is fictional. No one knows what happened or what will happen. Thank you for keeping that in mind. Also bear in mind that I know nothing about anything medical so if I get terminology, etc. wrong please be understanding. Thank you, loves!

"You're going and I don't want to hear one word in protest about it," Liam Payne said - his tone the same tone that'd been referred to as "the daddy voice" all those years ago. It was that tone and only that tone that managed to make any of them shut up - even Louis. Liam tossed a shirt into his suitcase, shouldering the phone against his ear as he added, "You have to be there. You just _have_ to."

"I don't _have_ to do anything," the voice on the other end replied as smooth as silk, "None of this is my problem."

"The hell it's not," Liam held the phone properly to his ear, "Look, what happened in the past is in the past. But this?  You have to be there for this. Zayn, c'mon. Don't be a fucking dick. We aren't kids anymore."

"Like I said," Zayn replied, his voice as cool and slick as an icy pavement, "I don't have to do a single thing. It's not my problem. I'll send a card. I'll have my PR people send flowers or something..."

"No you won't," Liam's voice was harsher now, his brow firmly furrowed, "You're going to be there. Saint Sebastian Hospital. You'll catch the next flight out. And we'll all be there together. And you and Tommo will put all of this behind you. You have to be there, Zayn. Please. It's his mother.  You loved Jay."

"She wouldn't want me there anyway," and Liam could almost see Zayn pouting on the other end of the phone call.

"She would to and you know it. She'd want you there for Louis."

"What...what exactly happened?" Zayn asked, concern peppering his voice ever so slightly.

Liam sighed and explained, "There was a car crash. She's in a coma right now. But there was a neurological aneurysm - basically a blood vessel burst in her brain - so they're going to be doing surgery to clamp it. No one knows the extent of things yet. The doctors aren't very hopeful. If she does wake up from this coma, she could have permanent brain damage.  Louis' a fucking wreck. Harry called me as soon as they found out. Niall's on a plane now. And you?  You're going to catch the next flight and you're going to be there for Louis. Because you're his fucking brother you stupid idiot. And he needs you."

"I'll think on it."

Liam rolled his eyes and hung up the call. It'd been the first time he'd spoken to Zayn in the past five years. In fact, it was the first time any of them had spoken to Zayn in five years. Liam knew he'd probably crossed a line in calling Zayn. But honestly, it was only right that he know, and that he be there with the rest of them. Louis would probably kill him for it. But Liam stood by his decision. It needed to be done. He finished packing and got in the cab to head to the airport. He just hoped when he got there, Zayn wouldn't be far behind.

-

When Liam got to the hospital, he found Harry and Louis in the waiting room. Things with Louis' family had been strained. Liam wasn't surprised that it was just Lou and Harry there. He hadn't seen them in five years. Other than webcam chats a few times a month just to check in. Louis was sitting in a chair with his head in his hands and Harry was rubbing his back in little circles. Liam set his bag down on a nearby chair and cleared his throat. When Harry saw him, he patted Lou's back once more and hopped up to greet him. They both just stared at each other for a moment, taking the moment in. Harry looked older. More worn. Probably from the stress of the past day. Liam didn't think he'd changed much. Still had his beard. Maybe a few more wrinkles. Such was life.

"Panyo," Harry held out his arms and Liam went to him like a child. Harry grasped him in his arms in one of those famous Harry hugs that made you feel like the world just suddenly was filled with love and protection. Liam relaxed into the hug, holding Harry back just as tightly though. God, he'd missed Harry's hugs.

"Hey there, H," Liam rubbed his head, tousling his shoulder-length locks.

"Glad you could be here," Harry said as they broke apart. 

"Me too."

Liam sat down in the chair next to Louis. Louis didn't say anything. He just lifted his head up and rested it against Liam's shoulder. Liam's heart ached for Lou. He needed family here with him. And that made him all the more glad he'd been able to come and be there. He lifted a hand to cradle Louis' head into his arm.

"Hey bud," Liam said, his voice hushed and gentle, "I'm here."

"They don't know if she's going to pull through," Louis' voice sounded so broken that it made Liam's heart clench, "She's in surgery now. No one can give me any answers."

"Well, she's in their hands now," Liam tried to rack his brain for something comforting to say, but he had no words. Nothing sounded like it'd be enough.

Harry sat down on the other side of Louis, "Niall should be here soon," he said, "His plane should get in any moment now."

"Good, good," Liam nodded, "We should all be here for this. Uh...Harry.  Can I talk to you a moment?"

Harry nodded and Liam gently stood from Louis and pulled Harry to the side, "I may or may not have done something." Harry couldn't help but think he'd never seen Liam Payne look so sheepish before.

"What did you do?" Harry's brow furrowed, concerned.

"I called him."

"Oh," Harry's brows shot up slightly. No one needed to specify who 'him' was. Harry just knew. 

"I know I probably crossed a million lines in doing it. But I felt like he needed to be here for Tommo. They were like brothers. They were brothers. I just figured...hopefully...whatever happened five years ago they could put in the past."

"What happened five years ago was Zayn publicly dragged Louis on social media. And when Louis called him on the phone to privately discuss it, Zayn actually told him never to call again and hung up on him. That's what happened five years ago, Payno. In case you forgot."

Liam let out a breath, "Zayn was a fucking idiot. But they're brothers, H."

"Zayn made it very clear they weren't."

"Well, I called him."

"You had no right," Harry hissed, "Do you know what this could do to Louis? He's already an emotional wreck. I can't even get him to eat anything. He's been a complete mess. And it doesn't help matters that when he needs them, his family is nowhere to be found. If Zayn so much as shows his face here, it could set Louis off the edge. I don't know what he'd do and I don't want to find out, Li. God, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that Louis needed his family right now. And that all of us - the _five_ of us - are family."

"We were all five family for five years, five years ago," Harry inhaled sharply, "It's over. It ended a long time ago. We can't keep pretending that we're still five goofy kids living on the top of the world together. Because we aren't. Liam, if Zayn shows up..."

"He probably won't even come," Liam winced. Part of him wanted that to be true. But part of him knew Zayn needed to be there. Even if no one else did.

-

Niall arrived shortly later. Liam, Harry, and Louis were still sitting in the waiting room. Louis was looking straight ahead, sharp blue eyes locked on the opposite wall. Niall set his bag next to Liam's and went around hugging everyone. He had grown a beard, which Harry ribbed him a little about. A corner of Louis' mouth lifted ever so slightly and he pulled Niall down into a hug.

"Missed you," he said into his ear.

"Missed you more," Niall replied.

Harry relayed that they still didn't know anything yet. Niall nodded and took a seat on the opposite side of Harry. After a brief pause, he said - "When did Zayn get here?"

Louis eyes snapped wide open and he glared at Niall, "What the fuck do you mean when did _Zayn_ get here?"

"Well, when I got here, he was outside smoking and pacing around outside. I went up to him and told him hi. He said he was debating coming inside or not. Something about not trusting himself, or you, Louis not to start something physical."

"Jesus Christ," Louis hissed, "Why is he here? How does he know about any of this?"

"Uh..." Liam stared down at his Doc Martins, "Well...the funny thing is..."

"Payno!" Louis snapped, jumping up from his chair for the first time since sitting down in it, "You had no fucking _right_ to call him and tell him! No right at all! This is a _private_ matter. A _family_ matter. He shouldn't fucking be here!  God. I should fucking strangle you right now."

"Love," Harry patted Louis' chair, "Come sit. I am sure Liam meant well. Didn't you, Li?"

"I just thought you could use some family here with you," Liam felt like shit. He really did. He didn't want to upset Louis any worse, but he still wasn't going back on his decision. He'd done the right thing. He was positive of that. "I just didn't think he'd actually show up though. When I talked to him on the phone, he was pretty adamant about not coming."

"Well he's here now," Niall kicked at the linoleum tile, "And he looked like a right mess."

"Maybe he'll just go away," Louis shook his head, beginning to pace around the waiting area, "Maybe he'll talk himself out of it and just get back on the next flight. Maybe in five years he's gotten some brains and knows better than to fucking show his face near me."

There was a slight sound of someone clearing his throat in the doorway. Then, "Guess I'm not very bright then." 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey loves! Thank you for the great feedback! It was very unexpected but absolutely wonderful to receive. I just hope I can do this story justice for you all. I'll try to update at least once a day. Tomorrow is a busy day for me so I don't know if I will be able to. But just know that I will. Thank you for all the wonderful comments, kudos, etc. you're amazing! <3

Louis' eyes slowly peeled to the boy - now man - in the doorway. He had a small bag tossed over one shoulder. He was dressed in all black and looked sharp as shit. Louis would have been impressed by how great he looked if he wasn't thinking up a million ways to murder him. Let's see...he could slam his head into the wall enough times, throw a chair at him, strangle him...but Jesus he looked good! Really good! And Louis felt a little bit of pride stir in his stomach. _Good for you, Zayn._

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Was what Louis said instead though. Harry looked to Liam and raised his brows as if to say - _see, I told you this was a shit idea, Payno._

"Liam called me," Zayn sat his bag down on the ground and shrugged, "And pretty much threatened my life if I didn't show."

Louis' eyes flicked coldly to Liam who pouted and looked at his hands folded in his lap. Louis' jaw twitched slightly, "And what makes you think you being here isn't a threat to your life?"

"Look, I don't want any trouble. Really. Chill."

" _Chill?_ " The way Louis laughed made a knot tie in Harry's stomach, "You're really going to fucking tell me to chill right now? You're nothing to me."

Liam finally glanced up and shot a look to Harry who just shrugged. Niall was looking around the waiting room as if pretending he was anywhere but there at that moment. That's how they all felt. Harry sucked in a deep breath and said - 

"Love, he's here to show his support. Why don't you let him just stay. What if keeps to himself and stays away from you?"

"I don't want him here period!" Louis snapped and Harry's mouth snapped shut. _Well then._ Louis never, ever snapped at him. Harry sunk back down in his chair, biting his lip, and reminding himself of the stress they were all under.

"You look nice, Zayn," Niall finally said, "Looks like you've done well for yourself."

"Thanks," Zayn nodded, a small smile twitching on his lips. Niall was the one no one could ever be mad at, "Yeah. Didn't know you were capable of growing a beard though, bud."

Niall rolled his eyes, "Shut up. I had chest hair when I was like, fifteen. I just always shaved my face."

"Sure," Zayn nodded, reaching out and ruffling his hair tenderly. He'd missed Niall. And if he was going to be honest, he'd missed them all. But lately honesty wasn't high on his list, "Well, I'm going to step out for a smoke. Uh...Li, keep me posted if we hear anything. And Lou, I'm sorry about Jay. Really am."

Louis was still fuming as Zayn headed outside.

-

"Go join him," Liam said with a nudge.

"First of all," Louis cleared his throat, "I don't believe you and I are quite on speaking terms yet, Payno. And secondly, I am not leaving from here until I find out what's going on."

"Hon, the surgery is going to be at least another hour," Harry ran a hand down Louis' back tenderly, "And a smoke always calms you down. Clears your head."

Louis fumbled with his fingers, "I hate him."

"You do not," Niall rested his head on Harry's shoulder, "You're not capable of it."

"Don't fucking tell me what I'm..." Louis paused. This was Niall. Maybe he did need a cigarette. Fine then. He stood up from the chair and grabbed Harry's hand, kissing it gently - an apology for snapping a minute ago, "Fine. I'll go have a smoke. But if they come out and give you guys any information, you come find me immediately."

"Of course," Harry nodded, "And Lou?"

"Hmm, babe?"

"Try to refrain from committing murder."

"No promises." 

-

Louis headed outside to the main entrance. Zayn was leaning against a pillar, a cigarette dangling out of his mouth. Louis couldn't help but think back to when they were kids and how they'd smoke other things together. Usually in Bus 1. Louis absentmindedly ran his fingertips along his Bus 1 tattoo.  Zayn flicked the ask onto the concrete. Louis took a deep breath and leaned against the pillar on the side next to Zayn. He pulled out his own pack of cigarettes and attempted to light one. His hands were shaking though and it hit him just then how fucking terrified he was.

"Hey," Zayn turned, grabbing Louis' lime green lighter, "Let me."

"Thanks," Louis mumbled as Zayn lit his cigarette. Louis inhaled, the taste and slow burn comforting. 

"Sure."

They leaned against the pillar in silence. Louis tipped his head back, resting it against the cool concrete. Harry had been right. The cigarette was helping to clear his head a bit. But with his thoughts clear of the fog of stress, all he could focus on were the memories. So many fucking memories. And one stood out in particular.

-

_"Uh...Lou."_

_"Yeah, Hazza?"_

_"Are you still on Twitter?"_

_"No. Fuck that. I'm done with that petty argument. It's not worth my time or my energy. Do you want waffles? I want waffles."_

_"Lou...listen to me."_

_"Hmm?"_

_"Zayn...he tweeted you. And...it's bad. Real bad."_

_"What? Let me see."_

_Louis' eyes skimmed the screen of Harry's phone. His blood turned to ice in his veins. His jaw clenched tightly and about a million things went through his mind. He had a million things to say in response, but for once held his tongue. This was Zayn. This was fucked up on so many levels. And Louis was not going to stoop to that level. He dug his own phone out of his pocket and held up a finger to Harry. He disappeared back into the bedroom to place the call. He could hear the pulse echoing in his ears. What the fuck, Zayn? What the absolute fuck? How could you fucking do that? To me. To us? How could you side with that piece of shit? Over me?_

_"Zayn," Louis' voice was cool and slick, "What the fuck? We need to have a little chat."_

_"Have nothing to say to you."_

_"Seemed like you had a lot to say to me just a minute ago on fucking Twitter!"_

_"We're done, Louis. Don't fucking call this number again."_

_And with that, Zayn had hung up the call. And Louis was left with nothing but silence on the other end._

_-_

"Do you think she'll be okay, your mom?" Zayn broke the silence.

"I have no idea," Louis took another drag on the cigarette, savoring the taste, "It fucking sucks. And of course my family isn't here."

"What happened? Bad blood?"

"You could say. Just a lot of family drama and of course when she needs them - when _I_ need them - they can't be bothered to be here. Fuck them."

"Well at least the guys are all here," Zayn flicked the ash, watching it pepper the ground next to his feet, "They're your family."

Louis just nodded. That day five years ago, he hadn't just lost Zayn as a friend. He felt like he'd lost a brother. And Zayn bringing up family wasn't exactly helping with Louis' current emotions. 

"Liam really wanted me to come," Zayn cleared his throat, "I would have sent flowers or something. I wouldn't have shown up. But he kind of forced my hand here. I'm sorry. I know you don't want me here."

Louis inhaled, flicking the cigarette to the ground and stepping on it with the toe of his Vans, "Like you said," Louis cleared his throat, careful to keep his voice as clipped and level as possible, "at least my family's here."

Zayn raised an eyebrow, "Louis, I know you could never call me a brother again. Not after what I did..."

"You know," Louis scoffed, "I've had some pretty shit members of my family. I still refer them as my family though. No matter what sort of fucked up people they can be. You're my brother because I decided years ago that you were. Whatever shit you said or did five years ago doesn't change that. But that doesn't mean I have to like you being here or want you here. That doesn't mean I have to forgive you. And that sure as fuck doesn't mean that we have to be friends again. You can stay until we get some answers, because I believe you genuinely care about my mom. But after we get answers, your ass is going on the earliest flight out of here. And it wouldn't make a god damn difference to me if I ever saw your face again."

Zayn nodded, dropping his cigarette butt to the ground and grinding it with his toe, "Sounds great to me."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for all your wonderful feedback! I can't wait to update for you all and will try to do so again as soon as I'm able. 
> 
> As stated before, I know nothing about medical terminology or medical conditions so please excuse me if I get something wrong. 
> 
> Again, thank you! <3

"Mr. Tomlinson?" A doctor approached the group, he wiped his brow with the back of his hand, looking utterly exhausted. Louis jumped up from his chair, his eyes wide. This was it. The news they'd been waiting for all afternoon. Harry leaned forward and linked his fingers through Louis', squeezing his hand ever so slightly. Niall, Liam, and Zayn all looked to the doctor as well.

"Your mother made it through her surgery. There were no complications that we know of yet. Nothing is certain though. We were able to clamp the bleed, but with her still in the coma, it is difficult to tell whether she'll pull through or not. And if she will, what kind of damage will be done. Reviewing her paperwork, it says that you are in charge of the decision making."

"Yeah," Louis nodded curtly - and in that moment felt very much like a little boy pretending to be a man, "Yeah, she put me in charge of that."

"Okay. Well, it's all up to you where we go from here."

"I know that," Louis' response was quick and sharp, "But I am not just going to give up on her like that. What are our options here?"

"Well," Doctor Davids cleared his throat, "She'll be moved to ICU. And she'll be monitored around the clock for any response or improvement. The medical bills though..."

"Are not a problem," Louis said sternly, "How long do people usually stay in comas?"

"It varies. Sometimes it can be a few weeks. Sometimes for many years. I just want to be sure you're prepared..."

"We are," Harry stepped in, sensing Louis floundering slightly, "Thank you. Where do we go from here?"

"ICU is located on the seventh floor. There is also a waiting area there. You are free to visit her two at a time for five minutes a piece. Visiting hours are from ten to five. I do suggest that you all take some time, regroup, and go home. You need rest."

Harry nodded and thanked the doctor. Louis slid back into his chair. The look on his face was something none of the guys had ever seen before. Harry was still holding his hand and squeezed it again. He hated that Louis was having to go through this. There was so much more he wished he could do.

"We don't know anything," Liam spoke up, "This could be good though. She could still pull through and be fine."

"I'm not stupid, Payno," Louis sighed, "I know the odds are not in her favor."

\--

The boys made their way to the seventh floor. They were all crowded together in the elevator and Zayn couldn't help but wonder when Louis would tell him to leave. He'd said he could stay just until they got answers. Well, they had gotten at least some answers. But Louis made no effort to tell Zayn to go. In fact, he barely even acknowledged him. And Zayn wasn't exactly sure which of those was the worst.

Actually he did know. The fact that Louis wasn't even acknowledging him was so, so much worse.

He thought about that day five years ago when he made that stupid tweet. Louis hadn't even responded publicly. He always did. Louis Tomlinson never held his tongue. And he was a huge fan of public shaming. But when he didn't even respond on social media, Zayn had known he was in far too deep. Kid tried to drag a hot water system one time on social media. But had absolutely no words for Zayn that day.

Not that he deserved any. God, they'd just been dumb kids. They didn't know what they were doing. Not like now. If Zayn had just given things a moments' thought, he sure as shit wouldn't have posted that. But he did. And there was no going back. There was no way he'd ever be in Louis' good graces again. Louis had called him 'brother' still. He'd also said it didn't mean he had to like him or forgive him or be friends again. 

Zayn's mouth watered for a cigarette.

\--

They got adjusted in the ICU waiting area. A nurse said she'd be right over to let Louis know he could go see his mom. Louis was fumbling with his fingers, wishing this was all some sort of elaborate nightmare he'd wake up from. He'd wake up, and Harry would fix him waffles. And after waffles they'd have hot morning sex. And go out for a day of shopping. And he'd find something Jay would love and purchase it for her. This was all just a nightmare. This wasn't real. None of this was real.

"Can I just say that I'm glad we're all here?" Niall asked sheepishly. He shot Zayn a small look and hoped he wouldn't catch hell from Louis for it.

"Me too," Liam nodded, placing a hand on Niall's shoulder, "Things have been...difficult in the past. But there was a time when the five of us were the world to each other."

Harry cleared his throat, "It means a lot to me that we're here now."

Louis sucked in his cheeks. There were hundreds of things he could say at that moment. He could bury Zayn with just a single sentence. Instead, he nodded, "Me too."

"You lads were my brothers," Niall continued, running a hand over his forehead, "And I dunno...I still like to think that you are."

"We are," Louis said without hesitation.

And it was true. Just like he'd said with Zayn. Louis had decided that they were all going to be brothers one day on X-Factor. There wasn't any going back on that. Still didn't mean he had to like them or get along with them. And by them, he meant one in particular. Zayn was fumbling with his fingers and Louis' own hands froze in his lap. Sometimes they could be so in sync it'd be scary at times.

There were times when they used to even have the same thoughts. Like putting lemons in Niall's shoes. Seriously. Who the fuck would think of that? But they'd both looked to each other, then to the perfectly white shoes, and at the same time said - "Lemons!" As if it made all the sense in the world. Louis bit his bottom lip, forcing himself not to crack a hint of a smile at the memory. 

"Hey," Zayn nudged his toe to Niall's white sneakers, "Remember when Louis and I put lemons in your shoes?"

_Well shit._

"Mr. Tomlinson?" A nurse with Snoopy scrubs came over to the waiting area, "Your mother is here now. She's in room 713. I'm sorry, but you can only have five minutes at a time with her. And only two at a time can visit. It helps though...to talk to coma patients. Some people swear it helps them heal. But I think it's good for their loved ones too. Would you like someone to come with you?"

Louis scanned the waiting room for a brief moment. Harry shifted next to him slightly as if about to stand. Louis placed a firm hand on Harry's thigh and whispered something in his ear. Harry nodded and kissed Louis' cheek. Louis stood from his chair and followed the nurse towards the entrance of ICU. He didn't even turn around when he said in the most impatient of voices -

"Well, Malik, are you coming or not?" 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of a lighter chapter for all of you. My mom actually had a stroke when I was a kid. My whole family came and it was such a difficult time, but we were all able to laugh and have fun in spite of everything just to help ourselves heal. And it was such a huge help. So that's what I am hoping I can portray with these next chapters.
> 
> They will be lighter in tone and there will be laughter, etc. but that doesn't mean that Louis has forgotten his mother or what he's going through. It just means his friends are there for him and are able to help him laugh and not be so sad and stressed constantly.
> 
> Enjoy!

It was awkward. There was no denying that. Louis had seen his mom already before her surgery, so her condition didn't exactly surprise him. When they first entered her room, he took her hand in his and kissed it. And he told her that he loved her so much. And then he sat down in a chair next to the bed. Zayn stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment before sitting down in another chair directly across from Louis. He felt weird and out of place. And it killed him to see Jay like this. She had always been so stunning. And so strong. She'd kind of adopted all the boys as her own during the years. And she had no problem sending care packages or smacking them on the head if they needed it. So to see here in a hospital bed, gauze around her head, gashes on her cheeks...Zayn felt strange. And he felt like an intrusion.

"Why am I here?" He asked finally.

Louis shrugged, "I don't know. You're the one who hasn't gotten on a flight yet."

Zayn sighed. That was not what he meant. And Louis knew it. "I meant why did you ask me to come back here with you."

Louis just shrugged again. He stood up from the chair and went to stand next to his mom. He brushed a knuckle against her cheek, "She loves all of us. She really does. You know she always asked after all of us when I'd call her or Skype with her."

"And she'd always ask us to all come on screen and she'd drill us on if we were eating right and getting good rest."

"Yeah," Louis smiled at her.

"And how can we forget?" A small smile was working its way on Zayn's face, "Boobear. Boobear, are you eating well? Boobear are you remembering to do your laundry? Boobear, don't wear underwear twice in a row without washing it. Boobear don't make me catch a flight to Rome and smack you because I will."

Louis laughed. He couldn't help it. And it wasn't just a slight chuckle. But one of his deep-from-the-belly Louis laughs that took over his whole body. His shoulders shook and his face practically glowed. He buried his face in his hands and for that moment completely forgot everything that had happened between him and Zayn. It was as if they were both eighteen all over again. Suddenly though, he sobered. He looked at his mom and then his eyes locked with Zayn's. They were red-rimmed and filling with tears.

Zayn took a deep breath. He and Louis had always been close. Louis had special relationships with all the guys. But with Zayn, he'd always been more emotional. They wouldn't outright cry to one another, but they'd have long emotional talks some nights which sometimes lead to a sniffle or a tear or two. Zayn cleared his throat and racked his brain. This was trouble. He had no idea what to do without crossing a million lines. He wasn't even sure where he stood with Louis. And here he was crying in front of him. And all Zayn wanted to do was hug him. But he couldn't let himself do that. Instead, he cleared his throat again.

"Let's just try to have faith. We all know she's strong. She'll be okay. She'll beat this."

"I don't know," Louis rolled his eyes to keep any tears from dropping, "Look at me. I'm a mess. God. It just isn't fair. She doesn't deserve any of this."

"Lou..."

"I'm sorry," Louis bristled, angry with himself for being so emotional around Zayn of all people. "Maybe bringing you in here was some sort of mistake. I don't know. You're just making me...remember.  Remember stuff I don't think I'm ready to remember right now."

"Okay," Zayn stood from the chair and cleared his throat again, "I'll just go back out to the waiting area. I can send in Harry."

"Right," Louis nodded curtly, "You should...do that."

Zayn moved to the door and sudden a hand on his wrist stopped him. "Zayn?"

"Yeah?"

Louis inhaled sharply. "Don't go."

Zayn nodded and stood next to Louis. Louis dropped his wrist and turned back to his mom. Zayn lifted a hand to place it on Louis' shoulder. It hovered there for a brief moment before he finally went ahead and rested it on Louis' shoulder. Louis stiffened slightly. Then lifted his hand to cover Zayn's.

\--

"We should get dinner."

"Are you ever _not_ thinking of your stomach?" Harry rolled his eyes at Niall.

"Just saying," Niall looked slightly offended, "I think we should all go to dinner. It would be nice. We haven't all been together in five years. We should take advantage of this."

"Niall's right," Louis said from the entry way of the ICU, Zayn by his side, "We should all get together and grab a bite to eat. It'd be good to catch up. And I think I need to get my mind off some things. So let's do it."

They all gathered up their things and headed to the parking garage to Louis' and Harry's Range Rover. Louis grabbed Harry by the belt loop and pulled him back to him for a moment, "Hey."

"Hey."

"Thanks for being understanding back there. About me taking Zayn in with me."

"Of course," Harry nodded, "How are things with you two? I swear when I saw him today, I wanted to beat him in the head with a pool noodle."

Louis bit back a smile and failed, "Funny. I wanted to beat him in the head with a brick. But he was really great, Hazza. And I don't know...I just need him here. I'm not going to forgive him just yet. And I'm not sure I'm ready to be friends with him again now or ever. But I need him here, Haz. And he just seems to get that."

Harry nodded, "Well you should talk to Liam at some point. Poor Bean is terrified you're going to like skin him or something."

"Still debating it."

\--

Harry drove the guys to a pizza joint not too far. It was a good little place. Casual. And with a back room for privacy. Just in case anyone recognized the five of them all together. The manager, Tony, was terrific. He set the back room all up for them and even offered them free drinks on him. Harry and Louis ordered several pitchers of beer. They also ordered three large pizzas and sat around trying to figure out what to say to each other. There was still a slight tension between them. And Harry especially hated it. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Ever. But then again none of this was how it was supposed to be.

He twisted a curl around his finger and glanced around the table. Okay, he needed to do something. They all needed to talk and this sitting around and staring at each other just wasn't cutting it. Besides, Louis needed to have a fun time tonight. He needed to get his mind off of things and de-stress.

"Okay," Harry took a deep breath, "This is stupid. We're going to talk. We always talk. No one was ever able to shut us up. People used to _hate_ interviewing us because we'd always talk over each other and so much that nothing ever got answered. So we're going to talk now."

"About what?" Liam asked.

"Anything! Let's just go around in a circle and talk about what we're doing in life and where we are. I'll go first."

"You're kidding, right?" Louis raised an eyebrow, "I wasn't aware we'd gone back to primary school."

A snort from down the table. Zayn was covering his mouth with his hand.

"Lewis," Harry raised a brow, "We're going around and we're going to talk about ourselves. Get to reknow each other."

"Not a word."

"Lou."

"Hazza, no. Look, we all know what we do. It's not like we're not all on Twitter or stalk each other online. We don't need to go around the table and say generic facts about ourselves we all already know. I want to just have some beer and pizza with my four best friends. And forcing conversation will do us no favors."

Harry sulked slightly. But he could see Louis' point. And he was delighted beyond words to hear Louis say the words "four best friends." Maybe there was hope for all of them yet. 

\--

"Where are you all staying?" Louis asked.

"I haven't gotten a hotel yet," Liam winced, "Probably should have when I booked the trip."

"I wasn't sure if I'd be alive to stay at a hotel after today," Zayn smirked, taking a sip of his beer.

"Well Zayn, the night's still young. Okay," Louis clapped a hand on Harry's knee under the table, "We don't live far from here. You all are going to stay with us."

"Slumber party!" Harry's face lit up like a Christmas tree and Louis couldn't help but be endeared.

"Sure, love. Slumber party. I don't know how long every one can stay, but I do know that I really don't want anyone to go just yet. I don't know how I could get through any of this without you all being here with me."

"All of us?" Zayn raised an eyebrow and Louis wanted to chuck his pizza crust at him.

"Bro, don't you fucking make me say it," Louis smirked.

Zayn stared down at his plate, a small smile crossing his face. _Bro._

\--

"So then I said to the guy 'I know you are but what's your dog's excuse?'" Niall roared with laughter.

"That is the _worst_ story I have ever heard," Louis took a sip of beer, a huge smile on his face in spite of himself, "And Harry's had some doozies."

"Hey!"

"Hush love," Louis lightly bit Harry's shoulder.

Tony brought out the check after everyone had finished eating and sitting around talking for a good while afterwards. It was so nice to catch up. The previous tension had been completely lifted. And Harry couldn't help but be thankful. Still though, Zayn and Louis were strained. They barely said two words to each other, in spite of them both having wanted to numerous times. It'd been so obvious and Louis was never one for subtlety. 

Harry took the check from Tony and slipped in his credit card, "This dinner is on us tonight. As a thank you for being there. It really means a lot."

"We wouldn't be anywhere else," Niall touched a hand to Louis' arm.

"Thanks."

"So," Harry cleared his throat. He'd had an idea itching on his mind for the whole dinner. Louis had been under so much stress lately. And he wanted more than anything to take them all back to a simpler, easier time. So as he was nibbling on his pizza, Harry had been hatching an idea, "Louis has this collection of really amazing water guns. Like it's _really_ impressive. And we have quite a bit of property. What do we all say to a water war tonight? Just to...you know? Take our minds off of some things."

Harry shot a cautious glance to Louis. He hoped he hadn't over stepped in suggesting such a thing. But it had been Louis' idea to have them all over. And c'mon. They'd stumble on the water gun collection inevitably. Might as well take credit for the idea, right? 

"What do you say?" Harry prompted.  Louis' eyes lit up for the first time since hearing the news of his mother's car accident. There was that teasing glint again that had completely faded - the glint everyone had fallen in love with over the years.

"Like i'd pass up a chance to kick Tommo's ass at a water war!" Liam pointed a threatening finger to Louis.

"Oh Payno, you're going down!" A smile spread across Louis' face. He couldn't help it. His mom was still on his thoughts. And so was Zayn. But Louis knew this was too good a thing to pass up. He needed to take his mind off of everything. And he needed to have a fun, amazing night with his best friends. And Harry had known that. He felt like he loved Harry even more for that.

"Please," Zayn scoffed, "You know you're going to get your ass handed to you."

"You're going down, Malik!" 

"I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you, bro."

\--

They stood from the table and headed out to the parking lot. Louis bit his lower lip. He was trying not to smile. He was trying _really_ hard not to smile. And was utterly failing. Zayn had called him bro. As Harry walked past him, Louis stopped him. He wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and kissed his cheek from behind.

"What's that for?" Harry asked, a little taken back. 

"Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"For what?" Harry turned around, his eyes sparkling, "Thanking me for going to kick your butt at a water war?"

"Oh Lord!" Louis threw his arm around Harry's shoulders, "You wouldn't dare." 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am having a blast writing this! I hope you all are enjoying it!
> 
> Also, my tumblr if anyone is interested is emilysheartstitchedtohersleeve.tumblr.com
> 
> If you ever want to talk, just message me on there. And if you have any AUs or writing prompts you want me to do, please feel free to message me :)

They were gathered in Louis' and Harry's yard - a massive amount of grassy property behind their expansive house. Louis had taken the guys to an area of the garage and had opened up a massive black metal tool box on wheels. In it, about a dozen massive water guns - no, water _weapons_. They were massive and plastic and brought back memories of Super Soakers in the backyards as kids. 

Louis let everyone pick whichever gun they wanted - letting them test them out, etc. The whole thing felt like he was some sort of arms dealer. And it only added to the fun. After everyone had picked their guns, they gathered out in the grassy part of the property. There was a pool to the left, and to the right, a tennis court. They gathered around in a semi circle and Liam stepped up to the middle.

"Alright, the rules are..."

"Are you fucking kidding me, Payno?" Louis shoved him a little too roughly out of the way. "My house, my rules. And my rules are...there are no rules! Every man for himself!"

They began to race around the yard, soaking each other and laughing their heads off - screaming threats of violence and curse words with huge grins on their faces. Louis was having an absolute blast. Close your eyes, and you could almost picture them as boys again, all friends, and all without a care in the world. Almost.

Liam and Niall had completely drenched each other. Then Harry and Niall seemed to have formed some sort of alliance. Which wound up being the two of them just squirting each other back and forth and trying to be as sneaky about it as possible. Louis made his way over towards the pool where Zayn was hiding out behind a pool chair. When Louis approached, Zayn stood from his position, weapon at the ready.

"You and I are going to chat," Louis' lips curled upwards into a grin, "And looks like you can't exactly hang up on this call, mate."

"Really?" Zayn quirked a brow, "You're pulling that card?"

"Yes, really. I am pulling _that_ card," Louis grinned, adjusting the water pressure to MAX and aiming right at Zayn's crotch. Zayn gave his weapon a little shake. He was almost out of water. He had no chance here, really. He was done for.

"Now then," Louis continued, "We're going to have a nice little talk. For starters, why the fuck did you side with that fuckwad instead of your best mate, huh?" Louis pulled the trigger and Zayn let out a sharp cry, covering his groin with his hands, "I'm waiting," Louis smirked, pleased with himself.

"I-it was a business decision. I was told it'd...look better to...side with him. Cut ties...with...you," Zayn let out a groan as Louis struck again, this time hitting him twice in the groin, "Jesus! Christ!" Zayn doubled over. Okay. Whoever decided to give Louis water guns was an absolute moron.

Louis giggled. Then covered his mouth with the back of his hand and cleared his throat. Oh was he pissed. But still. Seeing Zayn doubled over like that was more than slightly amusing to him. "Business decision. Alright," Lou nodded, "I can see that. Really. Yeah. Like Harry and I had to play certain moves, you did too. The only difference is, when it was just us guys, no cameras, etc. we could be however we wanted. You had that option. I called you and _gave_ you that option. Remember? What was it you said?" Louis shot the water again and Zayn let out another massive groan. This was not fun. Louis clearly wasn't understanding the whole "water guns are toys and meant for fun" aspect.

"I said...I had nothing...to...ugh, Lou!"

"Sorry, my trigger finger slipped."

Zayn glared. 

"Continue."

"I...had nothing...to say to you...and I told you...never to call...again."

"Right," Louis nodded, as if suddenly recalling the moment that he remembered clear as day, "See, I gave you the option to tell me then that it was all for show. For business. Hell, I'd have even understood. I mean, it's _me_ man. I understand the game more than anyone. Why didn't you just talk to me?"

Zayn winced, expecting more torture but receiving none, "I just didn't want to get into it with you. I just wanted it to be done and over. It killed me saying that. When I realized what I'd said, I wanted to take it all back. But it was too late. What was done was done. And I just figured it'd be best to cut ties with you all. Easier. Less painful."

"So...you ended five years of brotherhood because you were too scared you might get told off by me or something?"

"Sort of," Zayn winced, "Everyone was telling me to just make it official. Sever all ties with the band. I took the chance when it presented itself."

"You're a real piece of work," Louis shot again, holding the trigger down making the harsh stream of water relentless, "You know that?"

"Yes," Zayn doubled over, wincing and hissing out in pain. It wasn't so bad. It really wasn't. Louis knew what he was doing. It was just like being punched in the balls repeatedly. And Zayn was getting sick of it. Literally. He was feeling nauseous.  

"Are you sorry?" Louis asked, and Zayn's head snapped up. He knew what was going on now. Louis Tomlinson was old school when it came to punishment. If you stepped out of line, he would be relentless in punishment until you finally apologized. Then it was all forgotten and you were forgiven and no one talked of it ever again. Was this where he was going with this? Zayn blinked. Surely not. What he'd done had been unforgivable. He didn't deserve Louis' friendship or forgiveness.

"Very much so."

"You know there's only one thing to do now, right?" Louis asked.

"What's that?" Zayn was apprehensive. And with good reason.  

"Shake on it," Louis extended his hand.

Zayn's eyes locked with Louis'. He looked genuine. Was this really the end of it? Of five years of spite? Could it all be over now and they could go back to being friends? Zayn extended his own hand warily. Louis took it. He held Zayn's hand in place firmly. Zayn's eyes snapped wide open as Louis rain a finger along his pulse point. He saw a flash of a wink from Louis; and just like that, he jumped into the pool - yanking Zayn down with him. 


	6. Chapter 6

"Louis, you dickhead!" Zayn popped up from the water, pushing his dripping hair back from his face. He was completely drenched. Why no one had considered changing clothes before their water war was beyond him. But his new Prada shoes were probably ruined. Louis finally popped up out from the water, giving his head a shake - water flung everywhere and he looked like a dog shaking off after a swim.

"Oh shut up!" Louis splashed him.

"Is this what we're doing now?" Zayn quirked an eyebrow, "A splash war? Because I will end you."

They began to splash each other and laugh and dunk each other under the water. Harry, Liam, and Niall came over to the pool to see what all the commotion was about. At first, they were concerned there'd been some sort of physical altercation. But then they heard the laughing and Harry couldn't help but smile. Maybe finally things were back to normal. Was that even possible? He shot a glance to Liam who had his arms folded and a grin on his face.

"You two are fucking idiots, the both of you," Liam chuckled.

"Lima, you know you want in on this - " Louis didn't even finish his sentence. Liam jumped in the pool, and Harry and Niall followed soon after.

\--

That night, after everyone had dried off and changed into sweats, they all decided to hit the hay. The guys were staying in the guest bedrooms and Harry and Louis retired to their master bedroom. Louis wrung out his hair into a towel and was smiling as though he was on the top of the world.

"So, I take it this means things are okay with you and Zayn?" Harry asked, peering over the top of his book from the bed.

"I guess so," Louis shrugged, "I'm going to talk to him tonight. You gonna be jealous if I go crawl into another man's bed?"

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, "You're dumb."

"You love me though."

Louis kissed Harry and ducked out down the hall to Zayn's. Normally he could just move past things. They could laugh it off and all would be forgiven. But things were different this time. This was Zayn. And Zayn had been a huge emotional support for Louis throughout the years. They had always had deep conversations and Louis could always let his guard down more easily around Zayn. Normally he could just laugh something off. But this was bigger than that. And he needed to talk with Zayn about a lot more than just what happened five years ago.

He paused outside Zayn's bedroom door. His hand rested right above the door knob as he debated just going back to Harry. And that was pretty tempting. But he knew he needed to do this. So Louis raised his hand and knocked on the door slightly.

"Yeah?" Zayn called from inside.

"It's me," Louis smiled sheepishly, hoping Zayn would let him come in. 

"Okay."

"Can I come in?"

"I dunno."

Seriously? Louis took a deep breath, "I'll stand out here and beg and whine all night until you let me in."

On that note, Zayn opened the door and raised an eyebrow, "Yeah?"

"Can we talk?"

"Your house," Zayn shrugged, "God, I still have water in my ears you big idiot."

Louis smiled and came in, shutting the bedroom door behind him. He stood there awkwardly until Zayn hopped up on to the bed and sighed exaggeratedly, "You can join me, I guess."

Louis hopped up into the bed next to Zayn and fluffed a pillow behind him to lean against, "So, I just wanted to talk with you. We haven't talked in five years."

"Yeah," Zayn nodded, "I guess I was hoping to avoid this talk though."

"You can't avoid me ever," Louis nudged into him, "Alright, what I want to know first off is why? Why did you side with him over me? Zayn...he insulted my voice. You know that my voice has always been a sensitive spot for me. You know what I went through on X-Factor. How often did I break down in front of you about not getting solos? About not being good enough?" The memories of those times came flooding back and Louis took a sharp breath, ordering himself not to dare fucking cry, "And then that...arsehole goes and says that I can't sing. And you sided with him over me. You could have defended me. Or better yet just not said anything back in response. It had nothing to do with you."

"I know that," Zayn took a deep breath, letting his head fall back against the headboard, "I was just doing what I was told. As a business decision. I wish I'd never even Tweeted that. It was unfair and an attack against you. I at least should have talked to you about it when you called. I just thought it'd be easier to just cut ties. I missed you guys so much. And I knew I could never go back. To me, cutting ties was the best decision at the time. I was an idiot."

"Yeah you were," Louis' voice was gruff but he leaned his head back against Zayn's shoulder, "But you're here now, right?"

"Right."

"And you aren't going anywhere?"

"Nope. Not unless you tell me to."

"Good. Because I really need you here right now, Zayn."

And that's when the emotions came. Louis rolled his eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling, "I can't handle this on my own without you boys. You know that. I just...I am so scared she's not going to pull through. And you're the one who was always there for me. I just really needed you here and I am so glad you are."

"I was worried about coming. I thought you'd murder me or something."

"Hmm," Louis looked up at Zayn and scowled, deep in thought, "Still debating it."

"Very funny," Zayn rolled his eyes, "I missed you, you know."

"Well of course. I'm very missable." 

"Jackass."

"Dickhead."

"So are we going to be okay?" Zayn asked, "Because if not, I don't know if I could be okay with that."

"We're going to be okay," Louis assured him, snuggling closer against him.

"I'm really sorry about your mom, mate. I wish there was more I could do. It just kills me seeing her in that situation and not being able to do anything."

"You being here is enough," Louis assured him, "It means more to me than you could know."

"Good," Zayn nodded, sniffling once, trying not to ruin things by getting too emotional. Which was difficult. God. Why did he and Louis always bring out their emotional sides? He took a deep breath and added, "You're going to be okay too, bud. You're going to get through this. And we're going to get through it together. We're going to be there for you every step of the way. I-I don't have to go home for awhile. I'm sort of on a break. I can stay here if you want until you're sick of me."

"Sounds good," Louis nodded, touching a knuckle to the corner of his eye, "We're a wreck."

"Well we always did get emotional easily around each other. You're the only one in the band who's seen me cry when I was homesick."

"True," Louis nodded, "Quite pathetic, really."

"Bro, are you asking for a slap?" Zayn raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his face.

"You slap me and I'll beat your ass."

"Partners in crime united?" Zayn asked.

"Partners in crime united," Louis nodded curtly, "And you know what I think we should do to celebrate our new reunion?"

"Oh, I think I know where you're going with this."

"Prank?"

"Prank!"

That night they stayed up scheming up a prank for the rest of the boys. They were laughing and talking and there was even a small pillow fight. It was pretty adorable, Louis had to admit. And he felt a thousand times more at peace knowing that Zayn was his friend again and that together, they were going to get through this. He felt like he could truly face his mother's condition with his friends by his side, and that included Zayn.

"Hey," Zayn interrupted their scheming, "If ever you feel overwhelmed about things with your mom or your family situation, just pull me aside. We'll have a smoke and I'll help you through it as best I can."

Louis couldn't help but smile, "Thanks, bro."


	7. Chapter 7

The following morning, Zayn and Louis both awoke to horrible shouting and cursing. Louis hopped out of bed and scurried down the hall to Zayn’s. When he locked on the door, Zayn was tugging on a t-shirt and together they rushed down the flight of stairs. Okay. So their prank had been good, but had it really been that upsetting? Harry was shrieking and Liam was cursing up a storm. They both looked at each other. Something wasn’t right.

When they came downstairs and peeked outside, they paused in their tracks.

“Oh shit,” Louis hissed.

“God damn it,” Zayn threw his head back, “Louis you idiot! You didn’t say anything about the sprinkler system last night!”

“I didn’t know! Harry handles that stuff. I didn’t even know we _had_ a sprinkler system!"

Their plan had been to sneak into the boys’ rooms and take their suitcases, then dump the contents out in the backyard. And they’d done that. But apparently the sprinklers had started up and now everything was drenched. Harry dashed behind the house to shut off the water line. Niall picked up a shoe gingerly and held it upside down, watching the water pour from it. Liam glared at Louis and Zayn.

“Louis! What the hell?” Harry looked pissed. He held up a pair of black jeans, “These were my brand new YSL jeans. What is wrong with you?”

“I-I didn’t know about the sprinklers…” Louis just wanted to melt into a puddle. All the clothes were ruined. Zayn awkwardly shuffled his feet, staring down at the patio tile. 

Everything was ruined. The clothes were all drenched and covered in grass stains. Maybe they had gone too far. Maybe it was stupid and immature. They were adults now. It'd been dumb to try to pull some silly prank as if they were teenagers again. Louis bit his lower lip. How was he ever going to make up for this? 

“This is inexcusable. Both of you,” Liam shook his head, “What the hell were you two thinking? Of all the stupid...immature…” Louis winced, and then Niall started laughing. He was actually doubled over, clutching his stomach, and laughing, “Dammnit Niall!” Liam hissed.

“Wait...what’s going on?” Louis’ brows knitted together, “Wait a sec...Harry those aren’t your new jeans. Those are those old ones you said you were going to donate…”

“Fine,” Harry sighed, “Niall gave it away I guess. So now we’ll just have to tell you. But you should have seen your faces!” Louis and Zayn exchanged an unimpressed look. “Okay. So last night,” Harry explained, “I got up to get a drink of water. I saw the light was on in Zayn’s room and you know I’m a snoop about things. So I leaned against the door and listened in - just to make sure you two were getting along okay - and then I heard about your little plan to prank us. So I went to Liam and Niall and we exchanged their stuff from their suitcase, and the clothes I had laying out in our room with the clothes I was going to donate. I can always donate more. But we wanted you two to think you’d ruined our clothes. And to see your faces as your prank backfired.”

“Your faces were priceless,” Niall was roaring with laughing and now Liam was giggling too.

“You!” Louis pointed a finger at Harry. In a few seconds flat, he’d tackled Harry to the ground and was tickling him mercilessly and Harry giggled and shouted for help. After letting Louis have his fun for a few moments, the rest of the guys all dogpiled onto each other. After wrestling around a little bit, they all fell back against the grass, not even caring that it was still soaking wet from the sprinkler.

“You really thought you could out prank us?” Zayn asked.

“Well we kind of did, mate,” Liam grinned, “Up until _someone_ ,” he jabbed Niall in the side, “decided to fucking lose it over here.”

“I couldn’t help it!” Niall chuckled, “Really! Your faces were priceless!”

“And you,” Louis jabbed his fingers into Harry’s side again, “Listening in on private conversations?”

“Sorry!” Harry shrieked and squirmed away, “I couldn’t help it. Besides, I needed to check and make sure that you weren’t killing each other in there anyway. It was for your own safety.”

“Sure, sure,” Louis rolled his eyes, “Well Zaynie, I think we may have actually been outdone!”

“By these lot at that!” Zayn sighed as though it pained him to admit it.

“We’ll make it up to you,” Harry promised, “We’ll be in charge of breakfast today. I’ll make eggs and I am sure Liam and Niall can handle toast and bacon. We should have a proper breakfast before we go back over to the hospital.”

Louis’ face fell. In all the commotion he’d almost forgotten why they were all there. Closing his eyes, he wished they could just stay like this awhile longer. Stay like how they’d been all those years ago.


	8. Chapter 8

They’d been back at the hospital for most of the day. There was still no improvement with Jay. In fact, things had gotten worse. Her lungs had filled with fluid over night and now she was placed on a pump that drained the fluid. All of Louis hopefulness and happiness from that night and that morning drained from him while at the hospital. Within a few hours, his eyes had gotten heavy and he looked completely exhausted.

Harry hated seeing him like that. And in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder how much longer they could continue on like this. In time, they’d have to get back to everyday life. Life just couldn’t be put on pause. Niall would have to go back to being a football announcer. Liam needed to get back to his writing. Zayn needed to get back to whatever it was Zayn was doing. And Louis couldn’t very well just live at the hospital.

Harry nudged Liam and said, “Take Lou and go get a cup of coffee from the cafeteria. Just get him out of the waiting room for a bit.”

Liam nodded. He still wasn’t sure he and Louis were on the best terms. He knew he’d gone behind his back in inviting Zayn. But it wasn’t as if Louis were the only one who’d been hurt or pissed at Zayn. Liam had been too, but was able to put that behind him for all this. But Louis tended to hold onto things a little tighter. Well, he had a tight hold on everything but his tongue.

Liam nudged Louis and said, “C’mon. I’ll buy you coffee. My treat.”

Louis nodded sleepily and asked if he could get anyone anything. Everyone shook their heads no. He and Liam headed back out to the elevators. Liam cleared his throat awkwardly after having pushed the DOWN arrow.

“Hey, Lou...are we okay?”

“Payno, you and I are always okay,” Louis rolled his eyes slightly. But the playful tone in his voice was weighted down by stress and exhaustion.

“Good. I was just worried. I just knew Zayn needed to be here.”

“You were right about that,” the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside, “Li, I don’t know what I’m going to do. You guys can’t stay here forever. And we don’t know what’s going to happen with my mom. I don’t know what to do. I just feel like I can’t pick back up and just go on as usual. I hate this sort of limbo area we’re in.”

“It’s going to be okay, Lou,” Liam pulled Louis into a tight embrace, “We’ll figure it out, okay? We may have to leave in awhile, but we’ll come visit you and H whenever we can. It won’t go back to the way it was before. Now after this.”

“I just missed you guys so fucking much, Payno,” Louis let out a little chuckle.

“Well of course you did, Tommo. I missed you too. As annoying as you are, believe it or not, I do miss you driving me crazy."

"I knew you always loved it!"


End file.
